The European Parliament has banned the terms 'Miss' and 'Mrs' in case they offend female MEPs. This will include a ban on Continental titles, such as Madame and Mademoiselle, Frau and Fraulein and Senora and Senorita.
There's even a new 'Gender-Neutral Language' pamphlet, which orders politicians to address female members by their full name only. And suggests gender neutral terms to avoid insulting us ladies.
These gender neutral terms include job titles:-
Sportsmen should be called ‘athletes’
Statesmen should be called ‘political leaders’
Whescribing professions the following terms are banned: fireman, air hostess, headmaster, policeman, salesman, manageress, cinema usherette and male nurse.
The words synthetic or artificial should be used instead of 'man-made'.
However MEPs are still allowed to refer to 'midwives' as there is no accepted male version of the job description - 'midhusband' - maybe 'midperson' or 'baby catcher'?
And there's no gender neutral term to replace 'waiter' or 'waitress'.
I wonder how much all this nonsense cost us.